// Custom Female-to-Male Adapters & Hex Bushings

Custom Female-to-Male Thread Adapters & Hex Reducing Bushings

Female one end, male the other — reducing and converting between metric, UNC/UNF, BSP and NPT. Round-bodied or a hex body for a wrench, machined to your two threads.

Female + male ends, any combination
Round or hex reducing-bushing body
Brass / 303 / 316L / steel / titanium
MOQ 1, quote 24h

What a Female-to-Male Adapter Does

A female-to-male adapter has an internal (female) thread on one end and an external (male) thread on the other. It screws over a male thread on one side and into a female port on the other — reducing and converting the size in a single part. When the body carries wrench flats, this same part is called a hex reducing bushing; without them, a round reducer. It is the workhorse of pipe, hydraulic and instrument connections.

If instead you need a male thread on both ends, you want a male-to-male adapter; unsure which gender, start with the thread adapter types guide.

HEX REDUCING BUSHING — FEMALE IN, MALE OUT FEMALE — e.g. 1/2 BSP MALE — e.g. 3/8 NPT

Body & Ends We Machine

ChoiceOptionsWhen to pick it
Body formRound, or hex for a spannerHex where the joint is torqued (pipe, hydraulic)
SeatingShoulder stop, or fully threaded (shoulderless)Shoulder for a set position; shoulderless for max engagement
Female endMetric, UNC/UNF, BSP (G / Rc), NPTScrews onto the male part you already have
Male endMetric, UNC/UNF, BSP, NPT, parallel or taperedScrews into the port you are adapting to
SealingTapered self-seal, O-ring groove, bonded seatMatched to the pressure and medium

Standards we cut to: ISO 261 / DIN 13 (metric), ASME B1.1 (UNC/UNF), ISO 228-1 (BSP parallel), ISO 7-1 · ASME B1.20.1 (BSP taper / NPT), BS 84 (Whitworth).

Which Material? Cost, Corrosion & Sealing

MaterialDensityWhy choose it for a reducing bushing
Brass (CZ121 / C360)8.5 g/cm³The default — free-machining, seals well, low cost
Stainless 3037.9 g/cm³Free-machining stainless, general corrosion
Stainless 316L8.0 g/cm³Marine, chemical, washdown, semiconductor
Steel (zinc-plated)7.85 g/cm³High-pressure hydraulic strength at low cost
Aluminum 60612.70 g/cm³Light, low-pressure, weight-sensitive
Titanium Gr54.43 g/cm³Light + corrosion-proof — premium and aerospace

The Jobs That Land on Our Bench

// Hydraulics / pipework

"Need to drop a 1/2 BSP port down to 3/8 NPT — hex so we can torque it."

A hex reducing bushing, female 1/2" BSP in, male 3/8" NPT out, in 316L for a washdown line, machined to ISO 228 and ASME B1.20.1 and gauged both ends.

// Instrumentation retrofit

"A modern M20×1.5 male sensor has to go into an old female G1/2 boss."

A female-to-male adapter, female G1/2 to male M20×1.5, with a bonded-seal shoulder. Also see our sensor thread adapters for gauge and transducer ports.

// Lighting / restoration

"Fully-threaded brass reducer, female 1/2 UNF to male 3/8, no shoulder."

Shoulderless reducers for tight depth are a routine turning job — brass, to your exact two threads, one-off or in a batch.

Reducing between metric and inch? A female-to-male that also crosses systems is covered in depth on our metric-to-imperial thread adapters page. Send the two threads and we confirm the form and sealing.

Frequently Asked Questions

An adapter with an internal (female) thread one end and an external (male) thread the other — it screws over a male thread and into a female port, reducing and converting in one part.

Yes — a female-to-male adapter with a hex body so it can be torqued with a wrench, common on pipe and hydraulic ports. We machine both round and hex bodies.

Yes — female BSP to male NPT, female metric to male UNF, coarse to fine. Each end is machined independently, parallel or tapered as needed.

Both. Shoulder stop for a set seating position; fully threaded (shoulderless) for maximum engagement where depth is tight. To your drawing.

The female thread and the male thread with pitches, parallel or tapered, round or hex body, material — or the two parts you're joining. Quote in 24 hours.

Need to Reduce or Convert a Port?

Female one end, male the other — round or hex, sealed for pressure. Any thread combination, machined to your two sizes. Quote in 24 hours.

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